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TO: Mayor John Laesch
FROM: Shannon Cameron, Chief of Staff
DATE: October 2, 2025
SUBJECT:
Omnibus Ethics Ordinance-Amendments to the Code of Ordinances Regarding Disclosure of Economic Interests, Campaign Contributions, Lobbying, and Use of City Property
PURPOSE:
To modernize and consolidate the City of Aurora’s ethics framework by strengthening disclosure requirements, establishing clearer limits on campaign contributions, and clarifying restrictions on lobbying and political fundraising.
BACKGROUND:
Over the past several decades, Illinois law and local practice regarding ethics, transparency, and campaign finance have evolved significantly. The City’s existing ordinances on economic interest disclosure, campaign contributions, and outside employment were drafted in an era when public access to information was limited, and disclosure requirements were narrower.
Recent amendments to the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, the Election Code, and related statutes have expanded state-level disclosure requirements, imposed stricter limits on gifts and contributions, and provided greater public access to filings through online platforms. Meanwhile, the City’s existing ordinances retained provisions that are duplicative, outdated, or inconsistent with modern practice.
In response, Mayors Office and Legal Team has reviewed Aurora’s ethics code with the aim of eliminating redundancy, closing gaps in local oversight, and ensuring that City officers, employees, and candidates are held to high standards of transparency and accountability. The proposed omnibus ordinance reflects the outcome of that review..
DISCUSSION:
The omnibus ordinance introduces several significant reforms. First, the provisions on Disclosure of Economic Interests and Campaign Finances (Sec. 2-185) expand local obligations beyond state law by requiring covered persons to disclose outside employment, real estate holdings, entity ownership, involvement in city-funded organizations, and the receipt of gifts or debt forgiveness exceeding $150. These disclosures must be filed electronically each year by January 31, with newly covered persons required to submit their initial filings within 15 days. To enhance accountability, the information will be published online, and penalties are established for late, incomplete, or false reporting. Second, the ordinance strengthens Campaign Contribution Regulations (Secs. 15-320 to 15-322) by incorporating state campaign finance limits while imposing stricter local standards. Contributions of more than $1500 from entities doing or seeking business with the City, as well as from lobbyists or their clients, are prohibited. The ordinance also treats affiliated entities and reimbursed contributions as a single donor for enforcement purposes. Violations may result in penalties and disqualification from doing business with the City. Third, the section on Regulation of Lobbyists (Sec. 15-321) bars lobbyists and entities in which they hold ownership interests from making direct or in-kind contributions to City officers, candidates, or their committees. Finally, the ordinance addresses the Regulation of City Property and the City Seal (Sec. 15-354) by broadly defining City property to include buildings, equipment, intellectual property, uniforms, insignia, and employee time. It prohibits unauthorized use of these resources for political purposes, while providing limited exceptions for incidental uses of the City seal and for announcing candidacies outside of City facilities.
IMPACT STATEMENT:
Approval of this ordinance will enhance transparency and accountability for elected officials, employees, and candidates while reducing duplication with state reporting requirements by streamlining local obligations into a single electronic process. It will also provide residents with easier online access to disclosures, ensuring greater public oversight. In addition, the ordinance establishes clear and enforceable limits on contributions from contractors, lobbyists, and other regulated entities, and safeguards City resources and intellectual property from misuse in political activities.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Approval of this ordinance will enhance transparency and accountability, streamline local reporting requirements, provide residents with easier online access to disclosures, establish enforceable contribution limits, and protect City resources from misuse. I request that the Rules, Administration, and Procedures Committee recommend approval of the proposed ordinance to the City Council.
cc: Rules, Administration, and Procedures Committee
CITY OF AURORA, ILLINOIS
ORDINANCE NO. _________
DATE OF PASSAGE ________________
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An Ordinance amending and adding Sections 2-185, 15-130, 15-320, 15-321, 15-322, and 15-354 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Aurora pertaining to the disclosure of economic interests, campaign contributions, lobbying, and the use of City property and the City seal.
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WHEREAS, the City of Aurora has a population of more than 25,000 persons and is, therefore, a home rule unit under subsection (a) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution of 1970; and
WHEREAS, subject to said Section, a home rule unit may exercise any power and perform any function pertaining to its government and affairs for the protection of the public health, safety, morals, and welfare; and
WHEREAS, in August 1984 the City Council adopted Ordinance O84-4298 prescribing ethical standards for City officers and employees, requiring disclosures of economic interests, and regulating outside employment; and
WHEREAS, the ethics provisions of the City Code have been amended from time to time, including most recently in 2019 and 2022 with Ordinances O19-047 and O22-069; and
WHEREAS, since that time Illinois law regarding the disclosure of economic interests, campaign contributions, and lobbying has evolved significantly, rendering certain provisions of Ordinance O84-4298 as amended duplicative or obsolete; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has determined strengthening local disclosure requirements, clarifying campaign contribution limits, prohibiting lobbyist contributions, and regulating the use of City property and the City seal will enhance transparency, reduce undue influence, and protect City resources; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the City Code and the authority granted to home rule units, the City Council finds it appropriate to amend Sections 2-185, 15-130, and 15-320, and add Sections 15-321, 15-322, and 15-354 to the Code of Ordinances to modernize Aurora’s ethics framework, as indicated in the Ethics Omnibus Ordinance, attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by reference.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Aurora, Illinois, as follows: That the City of Aurora Code of Ordinances is hereby amended, effective immediately, as set forth in Exhibit A, Ethics Omnibus Ordinance, to strengthen the City’s ethics provisions regarding disclosure of economic interests, campaign contributions, lobbying, and use of City property.